[pixel by pixel, as it happens]

(The) Vatican’s preparations for the canonization to sainthood of two former popes continue. After announcing the use of social media to reach out to more Catholics about the upcoming monumental event, the Holy See has now announced that the public can now access audio clips of past popes online.

This project comes after the completion of the digitization of up to 8,000 audio tapes from the pontifical archives of the Vatican Radio. Now, it is possible to play back and listen to historical speeches and statements from popes, dating back to 1884 onwards.